Technically
by Cantoris
Summary: There are some revelations that are obvious, and some that require a little help to come into the light. When you look for the technicalities, it's rather fun. Zuko, Sokka, Iroh, Katara.
1. Zuko is Aang's Grandson

Re-watching the show has made me think about a lot of things. Some insights, if you will, into the characters and events that are not quite as they seem. This is what I have come up with. Hope you enjoy. More is to come.

* * *

_Technically_…_Zuko is Aang's grandson_

Zuko unpacked the handful of possessions he had brought along, wondering if it was even worth it. The incense holder for his meditation had been his uncle's, the dagger from his uncle, and the portrait of his mother were the most precious, physical things he had. Would any of the group come in and wreak them for revenge?

He shook his head. Surely they were all too good to stoop to that level. He wasn't in the Fire Nation any more. He wasn't dealing with spoiled noble children.

"Hey, jerk bender."

Mostly, he knew that any member of the Avatar's group had more creative methods of revenge than property damage.

Zuko turned his head to the open door and saw the Water Tribe boy, Sokka, he reminded himself, leaning against the door frame, boomerang in one hand.

"Sokka. Is there something I can help you with?" Zuko asked carefully. The water bender had already leveled her threat against him, quite clearly, and Zuko wondering if the coin was about to flip to the other side.

"Sure," the boy answered casually. Zuko didn't trust it. "I was hoping you could tell me that this is all just an elaborate trick of you and your insane sister to finish what you started in the catacombs of Ba Sing Se."

"I thought that you people valued honesty," Zuko replied evenly. "I've said nothing but the truth since I've gotten here."

Sokka straightened and entered Zuko's room without waiting for an invitation. Zuko raised his only eyebrow and made a welcoming and sardonic hand gesture behind the other boy's back.

"Yeah, honesty is nice," Sokka agreed, now leaning against the wall. Zuko matched his posture though refrained from drawing either his dagger or his dao to counter the boomerang.

"So what did you really come here for?" Zuko asked.

The casual demeanor was dropped, replaced by intense scrutiny.

"I want to know why, after everything else that has happened, you suddenly came to the revelation that helping Aang is your destiny. The exact reason. Right now."

"That's private," Zuko answered, testing to see if his privacy would be kept. No such luck and he had figured it wouldn't.

"Not good enough," Sokka informed him.

It was a foregone conclusion that Zuko would be giving Sokka some sort of answer before the other boy would leave. The former prince considered his options, not to conceal anything or lie, but to determine what to say that the warrior would understand. Uncle had told him once that the Water Tribes valued family, that was the angle.

"One night, I found a note left on my bed that said I needed to know the real story of how my great grandfather had died," Zuko began.

"You mean Sozin," Sokka said.

"That's what I thought," Zuko confirmed. "But after, after he started the war and wiped out the Air Nomads, Sozin just kept searching for the Avatar until he died in his sleep as an old man."

"So what was the truth?" Sokka asked.

"The note had a hidden message that directed me to the Fire Sages' hidden library. I read Sozin's journal that he wrote before his death." Here, Zuko paused. "He wrote about how he and Roku had started off as friends."

"Yeah, yeah. Roku even spared the guy's life and your evil great grandfather left him to die in that volcano just to get him out of the way," Sokka interrupted.

Zuko couldn't have been more shocked if the boy had declared he was secretly a fire bender.

"What?" he demanded. "How could you possibly know that? No one else in the Fire Nation even knows that!"

Sokka grinned as the former prince sputtered. "Aang went on this spiritual journey thing and Roku told him."

"He did? He spoke with Roku?"

"Yeah," Sokka said, starting to look concerned at Zuko's reaction. "He's talked with Roku a couple of times. Why is that so important? And what was so important in Sozin's journal that told you something different about his death?"

Zuko shook off his discomfort and continued, "That was my question when I went to my uncle in prison. He was the only one who would have sent me that note. He told me that Sozin isn't my only great grandfather—"

"Well that's obvious," Sokka drawled. "You've actually got four great grandfathers or is that not good enough for the Fire Nation?"

Zuko ignored the insult. "The great grandfather my uncle was trying to tell me about is Roku."

It was Sokka's turn to look stunned. "Wait a minute. Roku is your great grandfather?"

"Yeah. My mom's grandfather."

"Okay, say I believe you. What does that have to do with your suddenly revealed, grand destiny?"

"It helped show me that I had two choices about how to live," Zuko explained. "Two paths that I could take to be either more like Sozin or more like Roku."

"And you finally chose Roku," Sokka surmised.

"I'm here, aren't I?"

"Yeah, you are."

The two boys stared at each other for long moments, Zuko waiting for judgment and Sokka deliberating said judgment.

"So, one of your great grandfathers was the Avatar," Sokka finally said slowly. "And Aang is now the Avatar.'

"So?"

The grin that broke across Sokka's face was disturbing.

"So that means that Aang is your great grandfather!"

Zuko's jaw dropped, he was certain while Sokka burst into laughter.

"It doesn't work like that!" Zuko protested once he broke free of his stupor. "The Avatar, _this_, Avatar isn't my great grandfather!"

"Whatever you say, Sonny-boy!"

Sokka practically skipped out of Zuko's room and went meandering down the hall, shouting, "Aang! Did you know that Zuko is your great grandson?"

Zuko pelted after him, initiating a chase that covered most of the air temple. "It's not like that!" he shouted after him.

Zuko wished that Sokka would just keep calling him 'jerk bender.'


	2. Iroh isn't a Dragon

Yes! After almost two weeks of "error" reports for trying to update this, I'm finally back! Thanks for your patience, I'll try to have the last one up in about a week.

I know that when Iroh and Zuko were talking with Azula the first time in the Earth King's palace, there was the implication that Iroh had received his title of the Dragon of the West due to the war. But then we had the Sun Warriors story, so I've mashed the two origins into this. Plus, I like it whenever Zuko thinks he's got something up his sleeve with Iroh and is proven wrong. It's just so fun.

_Technically…Iroh isn't a Dragon_

The first time they introduced the adults to each other, Zuko felt the constant urge to throw up. Aang was oblivious to any repercussions, Sokka was being optimistic, Toph was hiding outside in the mud, and Katara was flitting around like a canary-butterfly, trying to please everyone and manage everyone at the same time.

It wasn't that Zuko feared aggressive happenings. Actually, he was hoping for some amount of that just so that they could get it out of the way. But Iroh, of course, was his charming self. Piandao and Hakoda respected each other as warriors and behaved for Sokka's sake. The other members of the White Lotus all got along with each other already, and the handful of elders, benders, and generals that the gang had met previous to his joining were willing to put aside their own agendas for the sake of the peace that Zuko had promised and Aang supported.

It was actually all of them getting along that scared Zuko the most. He had spent the last four years rebelling against adults and forging his own path, regardless if that had been a wise decision at the time. Three years spent ignoring his uncle, the time spent traveling alone, finally denouncing his father, and then traveling with the Avatar's group had cemented Zuko's independence. The group of teenagers and almost-teenagers had grown self-sufficient and unaccustomed to adult interference. He was used to calling the shots now and feared it would be corrupted.

Toph agreed with him which was why she had taken the chance to run and hide. Toph had her own parent issues and as much as she liked Iroh and Hakoda, didn't want to spend any prolonged length of time in a room of well-meaning men, many of whom were fathers or father-figures. Zuko really envied that girl sometimes. As Firelord and the host of this gathering, he had no such luxury.

Katara had made it back to him and stood closer than protocol might have strictly allowed. But camping and fighting together certainly expunged any feelings of impropriety and none of the stuffier nobles were around to cluck at them like turtle-ducks.

"You look jumpier than a kangaroo-hare," she commented lightly. "You planned this remember? It was your idea."

Three days after his coronation, Zuko had thought that all those people who had directly helped them or supported them during the war deserved to meet each other. And so far, it seemed to be working. Iroh was talking animatedly with Song's mother, Bumi and Haru's father were exchanging earth bending techniques, and Pakku was almost smiling at the swamp benders.

"Aren't you the least bit worried that all of them will suddenly decide that we're too young to make decisions and they'll tell us to run off and train until we're old enough?" Zuko asked quietly.

"Not in the slightest," the water bending master responded immediately. "Come on, Zuko. If your uncle ever felt like that, he would have stepped in as Firelord instead of torturing you with those ceremonial robes. Most of our teachers know exactly what we're capable of and sent us off into the world instead of holding us back. Now stop worrying and get your uncle. I don't think he and Dad have been officially introduced yet."

Katara was right, as Zuko was realizing happened frequently. He followed her lead and joined her, her father, and Iroh by the fountain.

"Dad, this is General Iroh, the Dragon of the West," Katara said. It was technically Zuko's responsibility to make the introductions, but Katara was in her element. "General, this is Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe."

"It is an honor to meet the father of such skilled warriors," Iroh said with a bow he would give to an equal. Zuko fought to keep his surprise hidden as there weren't many Uncle considered an equal in all honesty. "Your children fight with skill and honor. You must be very proud."

"I thank you," Hakoda answered. Water Tribesmen didn't bow, but the deep and respectful nod the chief gave his uncle was the equivalent of acknowledging another chief. So far so good. "I'm afraid I can only take so much credit for my son and daughter, though I am proud none the less, as you must be of your nephew."

Hakoda's measuring gaze swept over Zuko and he tried to live up to it. His interaction with the chief had been brief, but he apparently had made an impression.

"It is reassuring to see the younger generation performing so well and facing adversity," Iroh agreed.

Sokka chose that moment to barrel into their group. "Sorry to interrupt, but Pakku wants to talk to Dad about the relocation of some folks from the North to the South."

"I'll go with," Katara offered, grabbing Zuko's hand and squeezing. She leaned in and whispered, "And you were worried," before following her father and brother.

"A remarkable young woman," Iroh remarked after they had left. Zuko glanced at him out of his good eye and saw a telltale smirk. "Absolutely amazing. It is a wise man who would keep her close."

"Uncle, I'm with Mai," Zuko felt the need to remind the old man.

"As a friend, of course," Iroh clarified, still smiling.

Feeling the need to redirect the conversation, Zuko thought back on a thought he had put on hold until the proper time.

"You know, I figured out you're not really a Dragon."

It wasn't often that Zuko got the drop on his uncle and he took perverse pleasure whenever he could.

The moment of absolute shock on his uncle's face lasted only a moment before understanding replaced it.

"You've been to the Sun Warriors," he commented, a mixture of disbelief and pride in his voice.

"With Aang to learn fire bending the right way," Zuko confirmed. "So, since you lied about killing the last dragon, you didn't really earn the title." The "so there" was implied in Zuko's tone.

"Ah, but Nephew, you forget that I am not just a Dragon," Iroh explained. "I am the Dragon of the West, a title given to me by the Earth Kingdom armies."

"But you weren't a Dragon to begin with," Zuko argued.

"Ah, but you must remember that the reason it was so remarkable to fight a dragon was not originally to kill it," Iroh reasoned, a flash of regret showing at the thought of killing dragons. "The tradition was actually started for fire benders to prove their control and dedication to fire just by _facing_ a dragon and walking away relatively unharmed. It as Sozin perverted the custom that receiving the title of Dragon could only be gained by a dragon's death."

"Fine," Zuko conceded as his uncle had known he would. "You're still a Dragon."

"But, Nephew, that makes you a Dragon, as well."

Zuko felt stunned, like someone had come up behind him and whacked his head with a fighting staff. The thought had never crossed his mind.

Firelord Zuko the Dragon. Zuko considered it for a full breath before smirking to himself. Nah, that sounded way to pretentious.


	3. Katara is the Firelady

Yes, I've finally finished it and thank you all for waiting patiently for this conclusion. This is actually the first of the trio that I thought of writing, but for some reason took me this long to get it in shape. Normally, I try to remain faithful to cannon pairings, but this show has proven to be my exception to a lot of my normal rules, so I remain firmly Zutara, despite the finale.

And with that, happy reading.

_Technically…Katara is the Firelady_

Katara ran her fingers over the red silk, admiring the feel of the fabric that would make up her wedding dress. Her wedding. It still didn't seem real.

Years had gone by since the war and rebuilding the world, specifically for her, her village. Between looking after her father and brother, starting her school for female waterbenders in the south, and the frequent trips around the world with Aang to help stabilize the war-torn areas, she hadn't had time for romance.

In fact, the only purely social interactions she had were when their group would reunite at least twice a year. Despite how most of them had paired off at the direct end of the war, only Sokka and Suki had made their relationship stick. Mai had broken up with Zuko, explaining that as Firelady, she would end up killing half of their court out of boredom and frustration and then killing the Firelord himself. They had parted as friends with Mai headed to Kyoshi to visit Ty Lee and Zuko remaining single on the throne.

As for she and Aang…after the initial spark of their teenage infatuation, they had settled back into strong friendship. The physical distance between them hadn't helped. The Air Nomads were named so for a reason and while Katara had been determined in their travels, she wanted to have a permanent home. Eventually, they had talked it over and decided that while they still loved each other, it would remain the love between fierce friends, teacher and student, even almost like brother and sister.

Katara had given up on her own prospects once she realized that other Water Tribesmen found her intimidating and she wasn't meeting as many Earth Kingdom or Fire Nation men while running her school. She had just about convinced herself to be satisfied with her students when Zuko had sent a pleading messenger hawk, begging her to come to the capitol as ambassador for the Water Tribes.

Katara left without hesitation on the Fire Nation ship that had been sent after her, ironically, with Mai as her escort and guard. On their voyage, the Fire Nation young woman had hinted at Zuko's habits over the last few years, including skipping meals and sleep in order to see to the minutiae of restoring the Fire Nation to honor and redirect their commerce to practices that no longer included war mongering. When Mai had confronted him on it, Zuko would get defensive. Katara wasn't planning on letting Zuko get the change to argue with her.

Arriving at the capitol, Katara saw that Zuko had gotten worse since Mai's departure. Ready for her next challenge, Katara, in turn, cajoled, bullied, and outright ordered the young Fire Lord to see to his own health once in awhile. After the initial few bursts of his temper earned him icy time-outs—Katara had been running after students for the last several years and Zuko had let his fire bending slide—the young man finally learned to just listen to her the first time.

One month into her stay, Katara found herself slowing wearing down on Zuko's personal drive to see to everything himself, pointing out his willing and capable servants and offering her opinion on which nobles in the court could be trusted to act in the Fire Nation's best interest and not their own. Soon, Zuko was eating regularly again, sleeping better, and he was losing the bags under his eyes.

It wasn't until months after that that Katara realized that Zuko had played turnabout as she had flung herself wholly into her new position to her own detriment. It was over the next few months both Katara and Zuko endured the comments and rumors about their supposed star-crossed romance. It was months after that they began courting each other and acknowledged their feelings for one another.

And now Katara stood in her chambers as the Firelord's betrothed as the most fashionable dress maker in the Fire Nation showed her bolt after bolt of fabric. Despite her love and excitement, Katara was still slightly unnerved by the selection: reds, yellows, oranges, golds. At the South Pole, she would have been wearing blue and white.

This is what you signed up for, becoming Zuko's wife and the Firelady, Katara chided herself.

"This comes from the northeastern province of Qayin, my lady," the dress maker explained. "They gather silk from wild fireworms rather than cultivated. Very rare and expensive."

"It's beautiful," Katara admitted, fingering the smooth texture.

"Am I interrupting?"

Katara, the dress maker, her assistants, and Katara's ladies maids all burst into giggles and whispers, seeing the Firelord standing in the doorway to Katara's private rooms. All but Katara knelt or bowed, depending on their rank.

"Playing dress up?" Zuko teased Katara, coming over to kiss her cheek.

"Firelord, it is highly inappropriate for you to be here," the dress maker objected. "The groom should not see the bride in her bridal gown before the day of the wedding!"

"Well, we're just looking at fabrics right now," Katara mediated. "We're not even close to a gown yet."

"But, my lady—"

"Of course, there are so many choices, I can't possibly decide right now," Katara breezed over any other objections. "If you would be so kind as to leave your samples behind so that I might see them in various lights throughout the day? Thank you. The rest of you may go as well."

The women filed out obediently, leaving Katara and Zuko alone. Once they had their privacy, Zuko closed the distance between them that they had properly maintained, sweeping Katara into his arms and kissing her passionately.

When he let her down and she could catch her breath, Katara smiled. "Thank you for saving me. I couldn't imagine making it through the rest of that without pining someone to the wall with icicles."

Zuko frowned slightly. "Is it really that difficult? Just choose something you like and that's it."

Katara swatted him on the arm, a move that would have sent anyone else in the palace into apoplexy and horror. "You have no idea how complicated it is. I can't choose everything from one province or one merchant without insulting everyone else. And…"

She hadn't meant to go on, but her true reason for putting off her choice was about to slip out. And Zuko knew her well enough to pick up on it.

"And what? Tell me."

"The colors," Katara admitted, turning her head aside to avoid Zuko's gaze. "I just never thought that I would get married wearing anything other than blue."

"Oh. I thought it was something like that."

Katara sighed and allowed him to gather her in his arms, her back against his chest and his chin resting on her head.

"What if I told you I had one more sample fabric for you to look at?"

Katara sighed. "Really? You _want_ to try my patience?"

"Trust me."

And the Spirits knew that Katara trusted Zuko, even before she had loved him. Katara closed her eyes when she was told and held out her hands as instructed. When she opened her eyes, Katara saw a bolt of silk in a metallic, vibrant blue that shimmered with bronze. After unwrapping a portion of the length, Katara realized the silk was so thin it was nearly transparent.

"It's—gorgeous," Katara whispered. "But, I can't, it's not red or—"

"Blue _is_ a color of fire, after all," Zuko interrupted. "Look."

The ball of fire that glowed in Zuko's hands was the usual orange color that Katara was used to. "I'm looking at a fire ball," she commented dryly.

Zuko sighed in impatient exasperation. "Look right at the base, the heart of the fire ball."

With that direction, Katara noticed the faint blue core before the fire turned its usual shade of orange.

"Azula used blue fire," Katara pointed out quietly.

Zuko grimaced as he still did at the mention of his sister. "Hard to forget," he muttered. "Blue flame is hotter, more intense, more destructive."

"And that's what you're saying to me to convince me to wear blue?" Katara asked incredulously.

"No," Zuko answered quickly and let the fire ball die. "But if you choose to wear blue, it's a valid argument."

Katara sighed. "Right, that's all I need, one more argument."

Zuko smiled. "Or you could just say that since you were the one who defeated Azula in the Agni Kai, and not me, you are the rightful Firelord to begin with."

Katara stared in shock for several breaths until she burst out laughing. Zuko continued to smile and then stole the bolt of silk from her arms and unfurled its whole length of bronze and blue. Katara found a bolt of orange cloth that complimented it, layering the two together.

"Perfect," she declared, holding the strands against her body.

"Perfect," Zuko agreed, but they both knew he wasn't talking about the dress.


End file.
